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IUS. cette, man. maintenues AND fifi. lii DEVEQESA UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

GIOVANNI FIMIANI, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SHIELD.

Application filed February 25, 1918.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GIOVANNI FIMIANI, a subject of the King of Italy, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Shields, of which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

The present invention relates to metallic protectors or shields which can be carried and used by soldiers in the field. The present shield is so made that when in use it protects the soldier from shrapnel fire and also affords a considerable degree of protection from rifle and machine-gun fire. It is so designed that it can be folded up into a small unit when not in actual use, and thus may be readily carried from place to place. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing ,Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section through my present shield in its opened p0- sition; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the shield; Fig. 3 is a section through the shield in its closed position; and Fig, 4 is a section of a detail taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

The present shield consists of a front plate 1 having an aperture 2 which may be closed by a pivotally mounted door 3 carried on a pin or rivet 4. This aperture is of sufficient size to allow a rifle to be used therethrough with room enough to swing the rifle and to use the sight readily. The front section will preferably be curved, as shown, to reduce the chance of a direct hit and will be provided across the bottom with a bent portion 20.

To this plate 1, which is semi-circular in form, a section 5 is attached by means of rivets 6 or the like which extend through the plate and a flange 7 carried by the section. Attached to this first section are a series of movable sections 8 which may be Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented M31'. 18, 1919.

serial No. 218,941.

telescoped over the front section when the device is closed. Each of these sections is provided with a series of locking rivets 9 which extend through elongated slots 10 in the next section. The heads 11 of these rivets slide in widened slots 12 in the next section. There are three series of these rivets which are arranged in staggered relation, so that the whole shield may be telescoped together and will occupy the width of a single one of the sections.

The handles 13 are mounted on the shield, one being attached to the upper edge of the front plate and the other being attached to the rear edge of the last or outer section. Besides these handles, straps 14 are provided for holding the device in its closed position, and these straps are attached to the rear section and buckles 15 are mounted on the front plate to coperate with the straps to fasten the device together. Two rings 16 are pivotally mounted on the rear plate so that when the device is to be opened, the soldier may take hold of these rings, and, by standing on the front section, easily pull the device into its open position.

While the present shield could not be made heavy enough to withstand direct rifle or machine-gun fire without its being too heavy to be handled easily, it can be made strong enough to withstand shrapnel bullets and splinters and will afford considerable protection against rifle fire. A soldier can easily carry this shield into the field, and it is adapted to be used until such time as the soldier can take up a more secure position in a trench, or consolidate the new line which is to be held.

Other modes of aaplying the principle of my invention may e employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. In a shield, the combination of an apertured semi-circular vertical front section, a sheet of metal firmly attached to the circular edge of said section, a series of telescoping sheets attached to said first sheet and adapted to telescope over the same in a direction atright angles to said front section, and means for maintaining the device in its 0.10.5661 position.

2. In a shield, the combination of an apertured semi-circular vertical front section, a sheet of metal integrally secured yto said front section around the circular edge and extend-- ing at a right angle to said front section, and a series of telescoping sheets attached to said first sheet and to each other, each such sheet being adapted to collapse over the one in front, said sheets being movable at right angles to the plane of said front section, means for fastening such sheets in its folded position, and a handle for carrying such shield.

3. In a shield, the combination of an apertured semi-circular front section, a pivotally mounted cover for closing such aperture, a sheet of metal rigidly secured to said section around the circular edge, a series of telescoping sheets movably attached to each other and to said sheet and adapted to telescope together and over said first sheet, fastening mea-ns consisting of straps and bucu kies for holding such sheets in their telescoped position, rings mounted on the lastsheet for opening said shield, and a handle mounted on said front section for carrying the shield.

Signed by me, this 12thy day of Feb., 1918.

GIOVANNI FIMIANI.

Copies of this patent may be obtainedfor ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

